How to Edit an Essay for Structure
The hard part is getting that admissions essay down on paper. It can be difficult to work up the motivation to write, but once you do, you can celebrate the accomplishment. But before you run off to drop the essay in the mailbox, you need to complete a few more steps. After all, you’ve put in all of this hard work already. Why not go for the gold?
Why Structure is So Important
It may not seem like it, but structure is what makes essays readable. Sure, editing for style is important too, but keeping your thoughts organized and focused is the hard part.
How your essay is structured will tell the reader a lot about the content. For instance, if you use the standard five-paragraph essay format, you’re telling the essay reviewers that the essay will be somewhat academic and include many examples to support a main argument. However, if you use a narrative structure, you’ll be telling the reviewers that the essay will be telling a story of some sort. Either way, structure relates directly to the content of your essay.
Why You Need to Edit for Structure
After you’ve completed a draft of your admissions essay, you should ideally let it rest for a week or so before you pick it up again. This way, you’ll have a fresh perspective when entering the revision process. Editing for structure will allow you to organize your essay for once and for all. You can take those fragments of ideas and develop them fully. You can connect vague points until they coincide with the major theme of the essay. Basically, you get to mold the clay into the form you desire.
How to Edit for Structure
Editing for structure involves many things, all of which relate directly to the content you’ve written. You will need to go through the entire essay and watch for several different things. For instance, take the introduction. Does it properly introduce the essay without being blatant? Is there a clear and concise thesis? Is the tone clear? The introduction is very important because it tells the reader not only what the essay will be about, but also how you will relay the information.
The body paragraphs need attention as well. Does each paragraph include one solid point for which you supply sufficient evidence? Do any sentences fail to go anywhere in relation to the thesis? Are any sentences void of true purpose? If you can remove a sentence and the essay will still make sense, you should remove it. Also, be sure that each paragraph ends with a smooth transition. It can be startling to jump from one point to the next without a connecting sentence in between.
Finally, the conclusion needs to wrap everything up. Does your conclusion use the thesis once again to show how you arrived at your own conclusions? Do you provide the reader with a new look on the information you’ve already provided? Does the paragraph tie all of the body paragraphs together in a neat and brief summation? You want to make sure the concluding paragraph is especially strong. This is what the reviewers will remember the most.
Editing an essay for structure allows you to mold the piece of writing into the finished product you envisioned. It also allows you to create your best work possible. Once you complete this edit, make sure you also edit for style.
In the end, you’ll be glad you took this extra time to edit appropriately. You not only end up with a stronger essay, but also a better shot at being accepted.